Abstract: Microcreping apparatus has an assembly of superposed sheet members which are pressed by presser means against a surface of a material being treated to compress the material against the surface of a drive roll preliminary to engagement of the material with a retarding means. The sheet member assembly is supported as a cantilever by holder means to which at least the primary and outer sheet members of the assembly are connected by a plurality of pins on the holder means received in slots in the connected superposed sheet members spaced inwardly across the path of travel of the material adjacent the rearward edge of the sheet members. The slots extend transversely of the direction of travel of the material and have sufficient clearance from the pins to permit movement thereof relative to the pins corresponding to local expansion or contraction of the respective sheet members under heating and cooling respectively.

Abstract: The mold body contains a cavity and at least one vent passage for venting gas from the cavity through the body. The vent passage has a portion of predetermined regular shape extending part-way through the cavity wall defining at one end an inlet portion opening into a portion of the cavity with a substantially greater resistance than the cavity to penetration therein of casting material. The vent passage further has an outlet portion formed by an irregular crack in the mold body extending from an inner end exposed to the inlet portion through the mold body, the crack having one of its transverse cross-section dimensions short enough to prevent leakage of casting material therethrough. The mold is made by forming a partially bonded ceramic material containing a casting cavity and incorporating in a wall of the cavity a vent pattern of a shape to mold the portion of predetermined regular shape of the vent passage.

Abstract: A centrifuge for separation of two liquid phases of different specific gravities to be removed separately; the separation chamber has a first subset of openings communicating with a skimmer and a second subset of openings communication with a collector. In one position, a movable barrier plate covers the inner portion of the first subset and the outer portion of the second subset to direct the heavier liquid to the skimmer and the lighter liquid to the collector. Changing the barrier to a second position where the situation is reversed selectively directs the lighter liquid to the skimmer.

Abstract: Hydrocyclone separator apparatus includes hydrocyclone separator(s) capable of separating light impurities from a paper-making fiber slurry. The separator inner wall is cylindrical with an apertured inlet portion adjacent one end which directs feed slurry in a vortical path along the wall to an enlarged inlet to an axial flow passage adjacent the other end. This inlet has a rim spaced radially from the wall which skims an inner part from the vortex containing predominantly the light impurities into the axial passage from which it is discharged through an apertured outlet portion of the sidewall. The remainder of the slurry vortex passes the rim to be discharged through another apertured outlet portion of the sidewall.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for differential pressure, counter gravity, casting of metal in a gas-permeable mold having a vertical passage with a lower open end for introducing molten metal into its mold cavity means. A crucible is provided for holding molten metal with its surface positioned beneath the mold. The crucible and the mold are relatively movable toward and away from one another for introducing molten metal into the lower open end of the mold, and pressure means is provided for applying a differential pressure to the mold and crucible to cause molten metal to fill the mold cavity means through the vertical passage. A rigid, permanently crimpable fill pipe is sealingly connected to the lower open end of the vertical mold passage with its lower end extending vertically downwardly toward the crucible.

Abstract: Wipers for sliding electrical contact have a form with gradual and progressive reduction in width and therfore decreasing stiffness and mass as they proceed towards the tip. This form results in higher resonant vibrational frequencies, enabling a wiper to follow the contact surface in high speed motion with less contact force. The lower contact force in turn produces less wiper distortion and consequently less hysteresis and wear.

Abstract: A flotation cell for removal of solid particles contained in a liquid has, upstream of its inlet, a mixing chamber providing a passage through which the liquid passes to the cell inlet and in which the liquid is charged with air or other gas to form bubbles therein. This chamber is provided with at least one pair of opposed, converging walls extending across the passage to form opposite faces of a liquid flow path to a restricted gap between these walls at their greatest convergence, and so arranged that substantially all the liquid flowing through the chamber is forced to pass through such a flow path. Gas injection means provides a flow of gas under super-atmospheric pressure into the liquid flowing between these walls in the vicinity of the restricted gap between them to form bubbles in the liquid distributed across the path of flow.

Abstract: A centrifugal separator having a rotary bowl for receiving feed which forms a pool within the bowl a skimmer movably mounted to fixed structure within the bowl for removing liquid from the pool to a discharge system with an outlet external to the bowl, and adjustment means operable from outside the bowl for adjustably moving the skimmer oppositely toward and away from the bowl axis to vary the pool depth. However, in accordance with the invention, the skimmer adjustment means includes skimmer mounting means movably connecting the skimmer to the fixed structure within the bowl so as to enable adjustment movements thereof by the adjustment means and so that the hydraulic thrust of the pool liquid against the skimmer is applied by the mounting means substantially entirely to the fixed structure. Preferably, the adjustment movement of the skimmer enabled by the mounting means are essentially radial only to the axis of the bowl, thus greatly reducing the amount of adjustment movement required.

Abstract: A solids-liquid slurry separating centrifuge has a rotary bowl, a conveyor rotatable coaxially therein, an outlet for solids, and a liquids outlet permitting retention in the bowl of a pool of slurry with an inner surface at or close to the axis of the bowl. Mechanism for discharging solids from the solids outlet includes a frusto-conical inner portion of the bowl and a coaxial frusto-conical hub on the conveyor within it having their smaller ends at the solids outlet, the hub being formed to a larger cone angle than the bowl portion such that the outlet end of the passage between them is wider than its inlet end and is approximately equal in cross-sectional area to the passage inlet. The hub has a conveyor blade helix of diminishing spacing between turns from the larger diameter end toward the smaller diameter end of the passage.

Abstract: A centrifuge includes a power exchange rotor of efficient design which is provided with at least one channel member for guiding the flow of material therethrough from a first end exposed to a source of the material, which is a feed source in a rotor used as a feed accelerator and is material discharging from the bowl treating zone in a rotor used in power recovery. The channel is so formed as to change the direction of flow of the material at least about 90 degrees as it flows therein to a discharge outlet at the other end and is spaced from the rotor axis less than the maximum radius of the bowl in the area of the treating zone. The rotor is mounted for rotation at a rate such that the tangential velocity of the channel ends is substantially less than that of the bowl treating zone.

Abstract: A rotary centrifuge has a bowl and an end member provided with mutually attachable flanges at least one of which has a series of plugs secured in transverse cavities near its periphery with a portion of the plugs less than their full width protruding from the flange periphery through slots communicating with the cavities at regular intervals spaced peripherally less than 15 inches between slot center lines. At least the protruding plug portions have a resistance to abrasive wear approximately equal to or greater than that of 90% aluminum oxide ceramic.

Abstract: Apparatus for screening pulp slurry in an annular screening zone in the space between a screen of circular cross-section and a closed surface drum carrying pulse creating means, the screen and drum being coaxially mounted for relative rotation about their common axis, is characterized by means for feeding the slurry providing at least one inlet to the space extending substantially the full axial length of the screening zone, and means for removing from the space rejects not passing through the screen having at least one rejects outlet from the space extending substantially the full axial length of the screening zone.

Abstract: In a buckle for joining band ends together, one band end is provided with longitudinally arranged indentations in or adjacent each side edge, and a channel-shaped, adjustable coupling member of the buckle has teeth therein arranged to register with band end indentations at various relative positions and to penetrate the indentations when the band end is pressed against the coupling member. Presser members fixed to the sidewalls of the coupling member press the teeth into engagement with the indentations to maintain the coupling member in adjusted position. The other coupling member may be a cover which releasably engages with the adjustable coupling member.

Abstract: A chopped mixture derived from municipal solid waste, free of ferrous metal is fed into the open upper end of a vertical rotor chamber for contact sequentially by an upper and lower high-speed rotor, with the rotor blades of the rotors further chopping the mixture and imparting centrifugal force to the mixture particles. Selectifier screens concentrically surround the rotor blades at the upper and lower rotor positions and have mesh openings which effect ballistic separation and elimination of glass, grit, sand, dust and fiber elements at these levels dependent upon the screen size openings. The two rotors are separated to form an intermediate treatment zone permitting liquid or solid spray of the mixture particles passing vertically downward from the upper rotor zone to the lower rotor zone.

Abstract: Apparatus for replacing rotating mandrels on which a web is wound, featuring, in various aspects, a surface drive for accelerating new mandrels up to web speed prior to splicing combined with a center drive for rotating the mandrels, the center drive being continually engaged with the mandrels along a transfer path between splicing and main rotation stations, improved means to transfer mandrels between stations, improved splicing and web severing means, and means to load successive mandrels into the apparatus.

Abstract: Band making apparatus comprising a mandrel on which is wound wire of U-shaped cross-section with relatively inverted portions alternating longitudinally of the axis of the mandrel having a side edge interengaged in the channel of the other, has a guide for guiding the wire onto the mandrel provided with a guiding surface which engages the external surface of a side of the wire incoming to the mandrel, and the wire and mandrel are relatively rotated about the axis of the mandrel and reciprocated longitudinally of that axis at a controlled speed ratio such that the back pressure of previously wound turns maintains the incoming wire side against the guiding surface.

Abstract: An easy-to-open blister package having a molded blister with a receptacle and an integral flange mounted on a backing, and a spacer of lesser extent than the receptacle positioned partially under a portion of the flange and receptacle, the spacer providing a grip for separating the blister from the backing.

Abstract: A solids-liquid separating centrifuge of the type having a bowl, a conveyor and drive gearing for rotating the bowl and conveyor at differential speeds, so that the conveyor continuously moves settled solids longitudinally of the bowl to discharge from an outlet in a reduced diameter end of the bowl, has one or more nozzle outlets through the bowl wall with their inlets exposed to the path of movement of a portion of settled solids by the conveyor toward the bowl end solids outlet to remove therethrough a relatively slow settling and difficult to convey portion of the solids.

Abstract: A spray nozzle has a nozzle body defining therein a tubular chamber with an outer wall of generally circular cross-section. A generally coaxial discharge orifice at an end of this chamber has a bounding surface externally of the chamber which forms an included angle toward the chamber of less than 110.degree. with the axis of the chamber. Passage means are provided in the nozzle body to receive a flow of liquid to be sprayed and having an outlet arranged to discharge the liquid into the chamber as an annulus about the axis of the chamber. Means is provided for directing gas under pressure into the chamber in a flow path past the outlet and out the orifice, with any chamber wall portions defining the flow path between the outlet and the orifice being convergent toward the orifice in the direction of flow.

Abstract: A measuring and dispensing closure member for a container of granulated material has a variable capacity dispensing mechanism, oppositely pivotable barrier members for alternately opening an inlet to the dispensing mechanism after closing its outlet and closing the inlet before opening the outlet, barrier operating mechanism including an operating member having a generally rectilinear path of operating motion inwardly and outwardly of the closure member and contained in an area of the closure member having a cross-section suitable for grasping in one hand, the operating member being accessible for operation by the thumb or a finger of such hand, and adjustment mechanism for varying the capacity of the dispensing mechanism from the exterior of the closure member.